In Russia, Politicians Protect
Movie and Music Pirates

By

Guy Chazan Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

Updated May 12, 2005 12:01 a.m. ET

MOSCOW -- Russian police thought they had a chance to catch a big fish in the piracy world last fall when a man selling counterfeit software they had nabbed gave them the name and address of his supplier.

They staked out the warehouse in the basement of a dingy apartment block and moved in last October. Behind a steel door concealed by boxes they...